Suburb’s fresh wave of colour

Murals by local, international artists

EACH February since 2017, Salt River undergoes a hue revolution as street artists from South Africa and the world gather under the auspices of the International Public Art Festival (IPAF) to inject a fresh wave of colour into one of the oldest and most culturally diverse suburbs in the city.

Launched three years ago, the IPAF is the brainchild of South African graffiti artist Mak1One and entrepreneurs Alexandre Tilmans and Sébastien Charrieras, the founders of the NGO known as BAZ-ART.

Their mission was to find a way to showcase outstanding South African and international street artists, both emerging and professional, whose stellar works mostly exist outside formal gallery spaces. The festival serves as a creative connector to engage with communities and local businesses while empowering street artists to become change agents.

Twenty artists have been involved in #IPAF2019 painting – spraying, rolling and stencilling grand scale murals, graffiti and other variations of their craft on a myriad different facades – and residents are delighted. Abubakr Jamal lives on Pope Street where a new IPAF mural is being painted by Brazilian muralist Aleksandro Reis.

He looks forward to the IPAF each year and says his eight-year-old daughter Isra can’t wait to see Reis’s completed artwork opposite her home.

Salt River Residents Association chairperson Warda Rahim said: “The IPAF team could go anywhere with this project but they choose Salt River each year. We are overwhelmed by the transformation of our area and grateful too because IPAF collaborates with us, builds relationships and gives back to our communities”.